Ch-Ch-Changes

A while back I mentioned that Innov8ive Knits is going to be going through some changes (you can re-read that HERE) – some of which have already been out & about. Looking back I notice I’ve let you know that there will be changes and what they were but I’ve left out the most important part: WHY!

Here's the big news!

Little sneak peek of how my booth may look.

So this year as many of you know I've set out some goals to accomplish as a new business. One of those goals was to attend at least one craft show this year. 


I've already announced that I am proud to say I'm on my way to that goal and will be attending the Blessing of the Fleet show on May 5 & 6th. Holy moly that's 2 weeks from today!!! You can find info about the show HERE.

Another great piece of information that I've been dying to share is that Innov8ive Knits has been accepted to a 2nd craft show... Drumroll please: The Gulf Coast Hot Air Balloon Festival!!! This is a juried show and I worked super hard on my application for this one. I must admit I was very intimidated by trying to get in BUT I did and I couldn't be more excited! This is a really fun show in Foley, Alabama with lots of beautiful hot air balloon flights in a lovely part of town. You can find more information about this show: HERE.




I am so thrilled to share and know that I have gone above and beyond my goal this year as far as shows go. Now the really hard work begins. Both of these shows are right around the corner so now it's time to knit through all hours of the night and prepare my booth for all of you to see!!! I can't wait to get the chance to finally meet a lot of my customers in person and get to interact face to face with you. When it gets closer to time, if I know exactly where my booths will be I will let you know. I'd love to see you there at either or both so don't hesitate to come and stop by. I'll be handing out some goodies for those of you who do :)

The Worst Mistake is Being Too Afraid to Make One

OK so now I'm going to spill some of the beans and let you guys in on a little secret of excitement I mentioned this morning on FB. 


As many of you know I recently took a webinar by the wonderful Michelle Ward - the When I Grow Up Coach about my Effective Escape (AKA effectively preparing to leave the lifestyle I have now to follow my real dreams of running Innov8ive Knits full time). Having a solid plan gave me some serious courage! The courage to do a lot of things I would have never imagined I could do!


One of the things I've recently gotten the juice to do is spread the Innov8ive Knits love BEYOND Etsy. I am officially starting to apply for local craft shows right here in southern Alabama!!! A goal of mine this year is to participate in at LEAST one craft/art fair although 2-3 would be even better. It all depends on how the cookie crumbles, and who accepts my applications. I've never done one before and am filled with enthusiasm (and a healthy helping of fear to be honest) about it!

Little Chunk of My Application

 To subdue the fears I will say that my Etsy community and close friends have been beyond words helpful and encouraging about it. More so than I ever expected and it has given me the much appreciated ammo that I needed to go through with it. No one likes being told "No" which is definitely a possibility, but "the worst mistake is being too afraid to make one" (That's not my quote BTW I found it floating around online so I'm officially not taking credit for it LOL) and I'm not going to let that hold me and my blossoming business back. 


I'm cramming for application deadlines as I type because the season is fast approaching. And if accepted (fingers mucho crossed) I'll have to start knitting in my sleep in addition of just before I go to work, when I get off, on my lunch break, and in my car before work starts haha! I'm not announcing which ones I'm applying for yet because I have a couple on the table but I will of course make a humongo announcement if/when I get accepted. I'd love the chance to really put my stuff out there here locally where people can see & touch my hard work; meet customers face to face; and get some real time feedback.


Well there she is- my special surprise. The possibility of great new things, a leap of faith, and hopes that I hear back from good prospects. Here's to sucking it up and going for the gold! Keep your prayers, hopes, wishes, and all other good juju flowing my way through this new adventure. There's so much to learn and so much work to be done if it's going to be a success! On that note I better get to it! ;-)

January Goals

Last month was the first month that I decided to start making monthly goals and I found it to be incredibly productive. Not only did it force me to think about specific improvements, it held me accountable and kept me in check. I am proud to say that almost all of the goals I set last month were completed!


In keeping with my goals, I have a cork board in my office and made a little spreadsheet that I posted on it, leaving spaces for tally marks and checks for sales, new stock, and competed goals. It became very rewarding to go to my board and add one more check or tally every time I tackled something on the list. There's something profoundly rewarding about getting to physically cross off a job completed! It turned out to be a great thing to do and I enjoy tackling a challenge with a reasonable deadline.


But this is is a new month and that means brand new goals. This month I would like to accomplish:

• close at least 5 Sales
• Finish 2nd Mardi Gras Scarf
• Add at least 1 bearded beanie to Etsy store
• Complete 1/2 of custom cardigan order
• Add 1 featured seller a month to my blogging queue
• Add at least 4 items to Etsy stock
• Write blog on my new yarn storage (DIY)

My goals this month are small from a list standpoint, but the projects that I have planned this month are HUGE and time consuming so to keep it manageable and reasonable I have minimized the amount of goals. One of the biggest points of making these goals is that I set myself up for success, too much will just be stressful and disappointing.

With the new year, I know that a lot of people are becoming organized and making their own monthly or yearly goals. What's yours? I'd love to hear them!

Weekend Wrap Up ~ Merry Christmas

First of all, Merry Christmas & happy New Year to everyone!

I'm sure one of the first thing's you've noticed is that the look is new. I've worked with a designer to make my website and blog professional and uniform. It's been a challenge to make the company as a whole have a collective look and I think it's turned out well. In addition to the blog and Etsy header, I have matching reserved listing & thank you placards for the store. I hope you like it!

This week I am excited to introduce the flower clip line to Innov8ive Knits. Currently I am only selling them as individuals in the store but discounted sets are coming in the near future. These are hand crocheted flowers with sewn on rhinestone centers. On the back is a ribbon covered clip to attach to hair or headbands. They are not up in my store yet because I am waiting to get some pictures with a model in them first, but will hit the store very soon! Message me if you want one in advance.

This is something that I've really wanted to do and it was on my monthly goal list. With only a few days left of this month, I was really cutting it close but am very happy to be able to present it to everyone. I currently have a limited amount of colors available because I'm trying to find out what YOU (the customer) likes best. Please feel free to leave comments on what colors you like, don't like, or would like to see!

ALSO I am running a sale on the 2 newborn hats I have in my store. These are hand knit with cables, usually $30.00 now on sale for $20.00. That's a whole $10.oo OFF!!!



http://www.etsy.com/listing/83942837/sale-newborn-knit-hat-in-sky-blue-with




http://www.etsy.com/listing/83943026/sale-newborn-hand-knit-hat-in-pea-green?ref=v1_other_1

If you have a shower coming up, this would be a great gift! Don't pass up this sale and grab it before someone else does. This will run for a limited time only.

Treasury Tuesday ~ Success!

This week I decided to make the treasury focused around fun little things that can help make a business successful. There are some things in here that would even be useful for someone not running a business.

Check it out here!



I think the printable boxes are genious! The idea of just being able to print out gift boxes at any time is so smart and easy. Another great couple of things that are good for everyone are the photography back drops. As long as you have good lighting, this will help make excelent photos.Be sure to check out all these great listings. Many of them are very well priced and can show as very helpful for your small business or anyone!

Goals for December

Source: http://smallbiztrends.com/2011/01/better-business-goals-2011.html

I think it's a great thing to set short term goals for yourself, especially a business. Sometimes it can get discouraging when you have a long term goal and it doesn't happen overnight. Well duh- by definition it's a LONG term goal. None the less, it can still get you down when it doesn't happen sooner than later. This month I have decided to make a goal for EVERY month. I think this is a great way to set myself up for success, and in sharing this with you I can have a cheerleading team as well :). You are the people that make it happen!

Here's some key things that I want to get done this month:

• Add at least 5 items to my Etsy store stock
• Sell at least 5 items in from my Etsy store
• Introduce the flower clip line to the store
• Blog more consistantly (this way everyone will know when to expect new things)
• Create & blog at least 1 treasury a week
• Make a goal for every month

It's a small list of things, but in the beginning stages of my new business I think that these are plenty and will certainly keep me busy and hopefully more successful than before. I am looking forward to tackling these goals for the month and sharing my process in taking them all down!


Everyone needs a list of short term goals to tackle things in a manageable way and keep the spirits up. What are your goals this month?

Weekend Wrap Up ~ Sneak peek & Life

I am getting to a point where I am wrapping up all of my current Christmas orders and getting back on the road to working up some stock. This week I have been working nonstop to get Christmas goodies done in plenty of time to be mailed to their home in time. All that's left are some finishing touches until I'm back to providing more things for my Etsy Store.

Included in one of my Christmas orders is something that is going to be a new line for Innov8ive Knits. I've already done a post on this item, but I thought I would give you guys a sneak peek of what it will look like :)

I will be doing a photo session with this item next weekend to provide a much better viewing experience, but here is a little peek to water your mouth :) I really LOVE this pattern it's simple, clean, and stylish (not to mention a fun item to crochet up)

Once my work is done on all these Custom orders, I will finish up the Mardi Gras scarf I have sitting on the back burner. This is going to be a stock item. A light, flowing scarf with beading. The mardi gras scarf will be perfect for southern Mardi Gras weather.

On a more serious note I wanted to share a life experience with you that I have had this week. Earlier this past week a great woman I know and love was taken by breast cancer. It left me with a huge reminder that all of our time on this Earth is incredibly valuable and limited. There simply is not enough time in a person's life to live angry moments or live a life doing something your heart doesn't desire. Life is too short to put off chasing your dreams for even a moment. After this great loss, I will remember to tell my friends and family I love them more often, and hug & kiss my fiance just a little longer because you just never know when God will see it fit to take them or you to be with him forever. 

Inspiration Spreads Like Wildfire ~ Storytellers Tell THEIR Story

Katie and Jeff Barker are a special pair of people who are near and dear to my heart. I met them while looking for a photographer for my wedding in March. I've developed a bond with them that you would have never expected to get from a photographer. I don't know if I ever told them this before now, but learning about how they started their own small business doing what they love was one of the biggest inspirational factors for me to put myself out there with Innov8ive Knits.


So not only is their work beyond amazing, they have influenced my life in a way I can't repay them. They have been kind enough to let me feature them as someone who I find incredibly inspirational and answer questions about their business and give advice from their experience. You can visit their website at: Katie and Jeff Barker Storytellers


Why photography?
Both of us enjoyed photography as a hobby for years before we decided to start our business. Katie took photography classes in high school, Jeff was always getting into crazy positions and situations to photograph our family. We have experienced love and joy and can't imagine not having photos documenting those times. We've also experienced pain and loss, and appreciate having photographs that pre-date those times. All of us have a story, and being able to tell that story with photography is awesome. We've had clients lose grandparents, friends, and spouses after their wedding, and knowing that we captured beautiful images of these individuals touches us very deeply.

How did you decide that your business should be the bread winner and leave the regular day job?
Honestly, we got a kick in the pants that made it happen. Jeff was working in a Monday to Friday 8-5 sales position, so photographing weddings on the weekend wasn't an issue with his work. His boss knew he was up to something on the weekends, but because it didn't interfere, Jeff didn't talk about it much. His boss asked him to take a client out on a Saturday that we had a wedding, and when he had to say no, his boss told him to choose which job to keep. We had the guts to go ahead to choose Storytellers. At the time, it was a little scary, but now we'd like to go shake his hand and thank him for making us leap.


What is your favorite picture?
This is the hardest question in this interview! [long pause, lots of hemming and hawing] This is a picture Jeff took of my [Katie's] grandfather. He was diagnosed with Alzheimer's a few months after our wedding, and he slipped away little by little. He ceased to tell jokes or to work to make other people smile, so when Jeff got this picture of him about a year after his diagnosis, it meant to world to me. This is the look I remember in his eyes all the time when he'd joke and laugh. He died just this spring, and I'm so grateful to have this picture. I have this picture framed and it's a constant reminder to me that what we do as Storytellers matters. It really does. When the cake has been eaten and the music has stopped, all people will have from the wedding day is their pictures, and it's important that we capture images that capture the essence of the people in them.

How do you find the right balance in pricing (pays the bills but doesn't keep you overpriced)?
We've definitely not gotten it right all the time. There have been times that we've had our pricing too low, and when it was all said and done, we were working for less than $5 an hour. The formula that we've used that makes sense is to figure out how much we need to make to keep our business afloat and pay ourselves a living wage, and the worked backwards. How many weddings do we want to shoot each year? How much time do we want to work? And then it's just simple math. Money needed divided by number of jobs equals the amount of money we need to earn per job. Obviously it takes a while to come up with the answers to the first questions, but they're worth asking. We work six days a week, we work long hours, and we're always on call, but we love our clients and they make the hard work worth it.


When did you realize that Storytellers was the success it is now?
I think when people started asking us for advice, we felt successful. We enjoy speaking with other photographers, especially ones who are just starting out. It's a great feeling to help other people!


You have customers all over the country How did you get word of your business out?
We depend on referrals from our clients. Word of mouth is hugely important for several reasons. First, advertising is very expensive. Paying for clicks on Google or Facebook could easily eat up hundreds of dollars a month. Referrals don't cost you anything (although we do give our couples incentives for referring us). Second, having people who have worked with us recommend us is infinitely more valuable to potential clients than just randomly picking up the phone book and choosing someone they know nothing about.


What gives Storytellers an edge over other photographers?
I think it's the amount of care and attention we give our clients. I mentioned earlier that we work six days a week, and I really meant it. We care a lot about the people who have invested their trust in our work, so we work really hard to meet their expectations.


What is your number one piece of advice you would give to anyone starting their business?
Keep reading, learning, and asking questions. There's always someone out there who does what you do better or differently than you, and there's no shame in trying to learn as much as you can.

Katie & Jeff have been a tremendous inspiration personally to me. They have been so encouraging! I'm not just saying this to butter them up but sometimes I look at their portfolio or our engagement photos and can't believe we even know them.

I hope that you have found the Storytellers just as inspiring as I have. I truly do believe that inspiration spreads like wildfire and hope that my sharing this with you will give you that push to do something that your heart really wants, no matter what it is. To my fellow Etsians I hope that you find their expertise and experience well received and are able to take their advice and apply it to your small business. I know I will.

Weekend Wrap up ~ New Strides & Organizing

This week has gone by so fast! The holidays are right around the corner and the days have gotten so short that I can hardly get anything done these days.

If you haven't already heard, this week I made my first sale!! I also got my brand new business cards in! Things are really coming together and Innov8ive Knits is making great strides every day lately. These new business cards are a BILLION times over better than the last ones I had. I got smart this time and had a graphic designer work with me on creating the new logo. With my new photoshop skills I put the logo on a clean, simple background with only the most important information on the bottom and had them made. My last cards were super busy and you couldn't hardly even read the letters. Most of the time less is more, learned that the hard way.

This morning I finally sat down and organized my giant stash of yarn and updated my knitting queue. Before I started to organize I had a plastic tub of all of my yarns crammed in with no rhyme or reason and receipts for them all over the place. I took all of the yarn and attached a tag on them showing what project they are for and how much it cost, then put all the yarn for the same type project in a bag together. It's not quite where I want to be, but until we get a new house & a new office this will have to suffice. When we do get our new place after the wedding here a few things I'd like to do (thanks to pinterest, feel free to follow me here)



http://pinterest.com/pin/108930884706611487/



I really love the way this works. I would most likely do mine by yarn size or project, and the chalk labels are ideal! My stash is always changing being able to easily change the way I categorize it is so wonderful!



http://pinterest.com/pin/108930884706611493/



This is another genius idea! Although my business is based around knitting, there is always paperwork to be done. Any way that I can minimize desk space taken up is a thing I want to be involved in. On top of having paperclips and such available & out of the way. I can also stash tapestry needles, my clothing labels, and other frequently used notions there.

I've had to put aside a couple of projects I had planned for my Etsy store stock to work on some new custom orders I've picked up. I am so grateful for all the new orders I've gotten lately. It certainly has kept my busy and my Etsy store very naked but that's ok.

AND I purchased a new pattern! I have had several requests for this, or something similar so I thought it would be a great idea to include it in my goodie pattern catalog.

http://www.etsy.com/listing/62734110/crochet-pattern-pdf-spiral-flower?ref=af_you_favitem

I would love to have your thoughts on what colors you would like most for this. I've also considered attaching a button on the headband and making a couple of flowers in complimenting colors so you can change it up if you like by attaching it via the hole in the center of the flower.

It seems like just yesterday it was Monday and here it is again right around the corner. Next thing you know the holidays will be here (and my wedding right behind). I have a VERY LIMITED space for custom orders guaranteed by Christmas now. I you are interested please let me know soon. Have a great week!

I could push this tie off a cliff

Sometimes being creative can really put a cramp in your style. Knitted ties is something that I have planned to have it's own section in my Etsy shop. I have a million ideas for them floating around in my head, I hardly have enough time to write them all down so I don't forget for later!

I started the first tie I had in mind for the store and so far it has been one of those creative disasters. The things my brain envisions are not translating into my knitting fingers. This tie turned out short... like a good 5" short. lol! Can you imagine wearing a tie that ends higher than your bellybutton? Epic fail. Once I started to block that bad boy and realized that it just wasn't going to stretch out to the size I had envisioned, steam blew out of my ears. Like seriously, I was on FIRE! 

It can be so disappointing to work hard on something just to see it flop. That's the life of creating something new though. Ideas don't always just fall into your lap. Fantastic work doesn't always happen the first time around. Just like anything worth having, it takes practice and time. I figure if I'm going to dedicate an entire section of my store to knitted ties, that won't be the last time that I have a jacked up tie sitting in a box labeled "creative experiments".

I've decided to go ahead and finish the tie by hand sewing the lining to the back and everything else that it requires so even though this will be unacceptable to sell, I have that lesson learned under my belt and I know what to expect the next time around! I do get this evil glare on my face when I start working on it because I know as soon as I finish, it's hitting the no good box to never be seen again but thought of frequently.

I thought I'd share this little "hiccup" in my knitting to attest to the fact that I refuse to sell anything sub-par. Really and truly I could put it on a model and manipulate it where it looked long enough but it you were to look at it from the back there would be like a smidgen of a tiny little piece in the back just waiting to pull loose and untie the tie. From the photography you'd be none the wiser. Buying off the internet can be so scary for just that reason and I want people to know that I am a PERFECTIONIST. I am not interested in selling deceptively. I put labels on all of the things I make with my name on it for goodness sake. I would hate to have a garbage product floating around with my name plastered all over it. How embarrassing.

Really and truly I could use the vent. I've been very tempted to take a pair of scissors to the thing after I finish it for a little sanity therapy. lol Maybe I'll post pictures :) Everything is a learning experience. Even patterns that I have made a million times over unravel a new lesson, experience, or bout of anger each time I make it. This is just a step towards a very fun, successful, and  HIGH QUALITY line of knitted ties. As frustrated as I have gotten with this project, I'm thankful for the lessons I have learned from it and know that it will help make an even better product than I originally imagined.

The Life of a Knitted Object ~ Part 1

I have had this conversation with a lot of people. Friends, family, customers, and other Etsians. There is an interesting, fine line in the pricing of an original, handmade object. 

I recently had a conversation with someone who I will call "A". This person asked how much I would charge for a plain one color toddler hat. I quoted "A" $35.00.  "A" then proceeded to tell me that she could get a hat like that from someone else's Etsy store for $15.00. That's half price! I can certainly relate to shopping around for the best bang for your buck so I thought I would share how I determine my prices, and why it's the smarter choice.



hand knit newborn cable hat in sky blue

 I will use this hat that is currently for sale in my Etsy store as an example. It is listed at $30.00. (note this is a newborn hat and not a toddler hat which = less yarn & less time to make which is why it is cheaper).

1. First thing I think about in the cost of my work is the materials put into it. I NEVER buy yarn from Michaels or Hobby Lobby. Yarn is not like GreatValue aspirin ~ same thing for less money. Commercial yarn that you buy from these places are mainly made from acrylic. While acrylic is a man made fiber and will probably last a long time, it's itchy, uncomfortable, and well... cheap. In most cases it is also manufactured in a mill with poor quality control. All the yarn I buy is quality, luxury, name brand fibers that will both last a long time and will be something you can take pride in having. Cost for this yarn is approx: $4.00. So that's $11.o0 profit, not too bad for a small hat right? WRONG!
2. Next thing to take into consideration is the TIME put into making it. A small hat with cables can take anywhere from 4-5 hours depending on the size yarn and the intricacy of the cable. Lets say that it only took 4 hours. $11.00 divided by 4 hours = $2.75/hour. Last time I checked, no one in the United States or in their right mind at least works for $2.75 even if they LOVE what they are doing. It just doesn't make sense, there is no successful business that runs on that kind of profit!  At this point you can see that either your less expensive purchase has low quality yarn, OR the person who makes it doesn't value their work or time, which can probably in itself tell you what quality of work you can expect
3. Also I have to take into consideration the the fees assicoated with listing an item on Etsy. As well as the price for advertising (search ads, renewals, etc.) On top of that I also have to think about the time it takes to photograph, edit, and load these listings on Etsy too. 
4. Last thing I incoporate into pricing is the intricacy of the pattern. Simple patterns get no upcharge but complicated ones like the one below that contains a series of short rows, inserting elastic linings and re-inforced plastic bill, unique increases and decreases get an extra fee. These things are skills that are intricate and not necessarially owned by casual knitters.                                                                  

newsboy hat hand knit in red tweed

After those things are taken into account, selling that hat would basically put me in the red. I didn't go to business school, but everyone knows that a business simply can't be run in that manner and I take enough pride in my work to not be OK with basically paying someone else to buy it from me. Although there's always exceptions, this is the reality of pricing a hand made product. Just goes to show you that you truly do get what you pay for when it comes to hand made.

To better elaborate how time consuming and involved a knitting project can be (depending on the project), part 2 of this segment will walk you through the details and pieces involved in making my current project: a knitted tie. A lot more goes into a project than I think some people realize, and I hope this will really open up some eyes on  time and love is invloved in my work!

A little self indulgence hat!

Since I opened Innov8ive Knits, I haven't knitted ONE thing for myself. Christmas is coming around the corner and I came across something I just HAD to have!  Time for some self indulgence and make myself a little cold weather gift for all my hard work this year!

http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/andean-chullo-hat

I love, love, love this! I love the colors, I love the design, I love it all and absolutely have to have it. Now the challenge is to keep adding to my incredibly small Etsy stock, fill custom orders in time, AND make this for myself before the cold weather is all gone and I can't use it!

Future Friday ~ Tie Time

http://www.knitpicks.com/cfpatterns/pattern_display.cfm?ID=50604220

I have always thought that knitted ties are just cool looking. Especially skinny ones. Every time I walk into Express I like to look at them (even though I'm a girl and totally don't wear ties). I've never known someone to hand knit one though.


This is something I have been wanting to make for my Etsy store stock for some time and have moved it back several times for custom orders. Now I am busting through projects and it is coming time to make one. I just think these are so great and making one, gives me the option to really customize them. I have a couple color-ways of yarn that I plan on using them in my stash currently: combinations of blues and greens. I also have a super plan of doing an all black tie with one 1" - .05" vibrant royal blue diagonal stripe a few inches from the bottom. Very mod looking.


The plan is so far to dedicate a whole shop section in my Etsy store for ties like this. So once I get one done I will have 2 sections (and more stock)! It is really starting to come together and fill up! I have a loose goal of having 20 stock items in the store before Christmas. Between the wedding planning, work, and custom orders it certainly will be a challenge but I'm up for trying to tackle it!


I have started the bearded beanie for the give away and after that I have one more to make to add to my Etsy stock, and THEN I will make my first tie! BTW these can make excellent Christmas gifts for the special guy on your list this year and can be made in just about any color(s) your heart desires. See the "contact me" tab at the top of the page for custom quotes!

Future Friday ~ Laisse le bon temps rouler SCARF

Thanks to the Facebook input, I have decided to do a Mardi Gras scarf! I was immediately drawn to this pattern when I saw it. It's just so interesting and the beading adds such a fun twist. It wasn't until I started looking for yarn for this scarf did I have the epiphany to make it a Mardi Gras scarf. Here's pictures of what the scarf pattern does:





http://www.ravelry.com/projects/kimfluck/334s-susan-undulating-waves-scarf



Pattern: Undulating Waves
And here's a picture of the yarn I'm gonna use to make it scream Mardi Gras:

Here in Alabama, Mardi Gras is a pretty big event and everyone is always done up right for the ocassion. The weather that time of year is chilly but usually not SUPER cold, so this light scarf is the perfect fix! Everything turns purple, green, and yellow during the holiday. I have enough yarn currently to make 2 of these scarves and plan on having them made just in time for the festivities. I am really looking forward to seeing these 2 elements come together to create  what I invision for this scarf. Not to mention I am going to enjoy making something that is for an adult for a change, unfortunately that means I will have a hard time putting it up for sale. Can't wait to get it started!

P.S. - One more project to go before I begin the bearded beanie for the giveaway!!! Get ready to learn how to qualify for the drawing!

Rhythm Hat Finito!

OK well I don't speak Italian but I am super excited about having the rhythm hat finished. It has been finished for a little while now and I have been in search for a little boy model for the hat to add to my profile before sending it out (across the country might I add). What's more important than making my portfolio pretty is making sure that my customers are happy. I was unable to find a little model before it needed to ship out so I improvised. I actually made this hat display before I made any hats to add to my portfolio and decided that I wanted to use real models.  -From my research, real models make the item more attractive/relateable than hanging out on it's own. -

So I took my special hat display outside my apartment in this FANTASTIC weather and took some shots of it before it made its big adventure to the other side of the country.

I think this is such a cute hat that is perfect for every day wear. Innov8ive Knits style is: unique, trendy/stylish, boutique quality knits. This hat isn't particularly unique but that's what gives it the versatility it has. Sometimes you just want something clean and classy that you can tie into a wardrobe for every day wear. I think that the color work gives that traditional style hat a little umph of unique though. It's fun without being too much.

On a side note, if you are a local customer and interested in being a model for my work yourself or your child message me for details. (use the "contact me" tab on the top of the page). All participants receive a 15% discount on future purchases and copies of all edited photos as a special thank you.

Introducing Gift Cards!

Awesome news! I am now offering gift cards! These can be used for custom orders or Etsy store purchases. There are a lot of holidays coming up and there are ALWAYS people getting married or having babies. Ocassions to give gifts come all the time. Giving the gift of something handmade gives an extra touch, more so than something commercial you can grab at the mall.

Gift cards can be purchased via the Gift Card tab on the top of my website.

Show someone special that you love them, and give them the gift of hand made art.  A boutique quality, heirloom piece has a place in everyone's home and heart and won't be soon forgotten.

Weekend Wrap-Up ~ The end of the endless scarf

Since I've finally got this cold kicked in the butt, I have been working nonstop on this scarf! I am SO glad to have it done... well almost done. Remind me to never make a super intricate cabled scarf out of a DK weight yarn again... EVER. lol.  It does look great though, and after all of this hard work, I will be quite sad to see it go! That's the only downside to the business is that I have to give my hard work to someone else (for a price of course).  I put a lot of time and heart into these projects and it's been surprising how attached I get to them.

Right now the endless cable scarf is in the blocking process

Here the scarf is soaking in some luke-warm water before being laid out to block. After it's dried, all I will need to do is sew on my label and get it ready for delivery to my customer. This piece is also pretty sentimental because it was the first custom order that I received! I can't wait to get some really good pictures of it too. Expect a photo shoot in the near future.

Also in news from this week, Innov8ive Knits is going nationwide!!! Yesterday I made my first shipment of product all the way out to California! The rhythm hat is traveling in a package as we speak. It's so exciting that my work is getting to travel and see people it never would get to make an impression on here. It is hopefully the first of many travels of my work to many different places all over the country. After making that shipment, I realized that I should have a better game plan on how I do my shipping for out of state customers and my Etsy customers. Research was made and I have decided on all orders to ship in the future USPS priority mail. It seems the best budget wise and convenience for myself and the customer to to the flat rate envelopes for most of my orders. Odd shaped larger items may have to be done differently.

Now that this scarf is pretty much done, I am going to start doing the pinwheel hat today. I am really looking forward to seeing the finished product, especially with some added modifications.

Between stock for my growing Etsy store and custom orders my queue to knit is just growing like weeds! It got to the point that I had to do a printout just to keep it manageable and make sure that I get things done with a priority and order to make sure things get done when they should. I'm not swimming in profit and I'm not answering phone calls and e-mails all day long but things are definitely growing. I am so proud of how things are blooming and I can hardly contain all of the ideas I have for the business.

Weekend wrap-up ~ funky flu & Etsy opening

Source: http://my-sweet-sweet-time.blogspot.com/2010/04/late-saturday.html

This week has been incredibly busy! This is exactly how I feel but add a couple tissues up her nose and add some yarn and needles. Juggling a day job and your own business can be very trying at times! I certainly do not feel like I did enough for Innov8ive Knits this week. I've been pulling some extra overtime at my day job for trade shows and inventory. At the end of the week, I managed to catch one of the worst colds I have had in a long time. I don't think I have slept this much in well… ever! I tried to squeeze some knitting while I was on the couch but my head was so fuzzy all the stitches mushed together and when I looked down, I had no idea what I had made!! lol It was best I stopped while I was ahead.


On the bright side, I DID manage to get some things accomplished before it all went downhill! I have officially started putting things on my Etsy store!!! I am building up stock and listings for the GRAND OPENING. I don't have a date picked for it just yet (this depends on how many more custom orders I pick up and how much time I have to work on stock pieces) nor have I decided what I will do to make the GRAND OPENING something special (I'm thinking a special coupon or sale for my blog or facebook followers). I am so proud and excited about it. This really feels like a big move forward for my business, and I hope it really starts to gain traffic. The more I get in that store, the more hits it will get, and the better the chance people will make purchases. 


If there is something that you have seen or that I made that you would like to see in the store or you think would be popular let me know! I am always looking for people's opinions. YOU as my follower and customer has the most important input and my ears are ALWAYS open to your thoughts. (or my eyes in this case)


Also I have found someone to model for the Rhythm hat. If I am still not couch surfing this week due to my super awesome cold, I intend to get the photos done for this in the coming week, so be ready to see that. Let me know what your thoughts of this hat are too! Do you like this more traditional hat, and what colors would you like to see in the future? I have been told that a charcoal grey and crimson red would be nice (even though they are Alabama colors). 


Believe it or not, I am STILL working on that never ending scarf! I am on my last skein of yarn though so it is finally coming to an end. Next time I make this thing I will pick a bigger yarn for sure! 

I decided as well that I have another idea to add to my store categories: baby mobiles! I want to knit tiny themed toys and attach them to different materials to hang over a baby bed. Themes including: stars & moons, safari animals, farm animals, & planes. If you have any other ideas for this I would love to hear them. This is definitely going to hit a future Friday soon when I clear up some projects already on my queue. 


There are so many great things up my sleeve and I can't wait to put them out there for the world to see. It's so exciting to see things really start to come together. Now it's just waiting time until I get my first Etsy buy! I am in need of feedback to build credibility. Don't forget to share the growing store with your friends and add it to your Etsy circle. Also keep subscribed to the blog because the bearded beanie Christmas giveaway will be here before you know it and you won't want to miss it!

Future Friday ~ Pinwheel Flower Hat

Hapy Friday! Man have I been looking forward to this weekend! I have been doing SO much this week (mostly for the day job), but those details will come up in the weekend wrap up.
For this Future Friday I am introducing a little girl hat: the pinwheel flower hat. This one is already reserved for a cutstomer but I am planning on making some for the Etsy store in the future. BTW I have recently opened it to start adding products. Look out for a blog in the near future about the grand opening and other details on that. 



http://www.etsy.com/transaction/58194124



I am making this hat out of a SUPER soft yarn in a pink and green! I plan on maing a modification to this hat by adding a jewel/crystal of some sort into the center of the flower. I think this will make it POP a little better and give a little more "princess" to the look. Nothing says princess like bling :).

On a side note I already have a model for this hat but I am still looking for a little boy to model the rhythm hat. If you or someone you know may be interested please feel free to message me and pass the info along. (There is a tap at the top of my page to get in touch). Also I am making things all the time for people of all ages, if you are interested for future shoots, I would love to hear from you too!